Resumen de Assessment of Antioxidant Capacities in Foods:: A Research Experience for General Chemistry Students
Matthew A. Hoch, Cianán B. Russell, Debora M. Steffen, Gabriela C. Weaver, John R. Burgess
With the booming interest in health food and nutrition, investigations of the antioxidant capacities of various foods have come to the forefront of food science. This general chemistry laboratory curriculum provides students with an opportunity to design and implement their own experiments relating to antioxidants in food. The curriculum is six laboratory periods long, with the first three laboratory periods providing students with the tools to investigate total antioxidant capacity, polyphenolic flavanoid content, and ascorbic acid concentration of samples. In the final three laboratory periods, students review food science literature, develop a hypothesis, design and perform their experiment, and present their findings in a scientific paper. This curriculum provides students with knowledge of UV–vis spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, food chemistry, and the practice and nature of science.
